Playing hockey with fins

[Photo/Agencies]

Like dancing

The Hong Kong team practices once a week at a 25-meter school pool, working to improve the players' power, endurance and lung capacity.

Experienced players swim whole lengths without coming up for air in training, to help when they dive to chase the puck.

But head coach Nowie Ignacio Cornelia, from the Philippines, says the skills do not come easily.

"Being great comes with time. Your muscles have to get used to being underwater," says Cornelia, 37, who is a freelance cinematographer.

"The key ingredient is to be very calm and relaxed," Cornelia adds.

But Chan says it is cooperation that is the key. "There are six (opponents) to defeat before scoring," he says.